Another free agent cut adding to unimpressive record

The Dolphins quietly terminated the contract of guard Artis Hicks this week. Hicks had been on injured reserve with what was supposedly a neck injury but this is something of a mysterious episode because the club cited "a failure to disclose a physical condition" in jettisoning the veteran.

So Hicks and his one-year, $2 million contract are gone.

And that leads me to updating the work done in free agency by this team last spring and summer. It doesn't look good.

Artis Hicks -- contract terminated off injured reserve.

Tyrell Johnson -- cut.

Richard Marshall -- starting CB.

David Garrard -- cut.

Legedu Naanee -- Reserve WR.

Gary Guyton -- cut.

Jamaal Westerman -- cut.

Chad Johnson -- cut.

Eric Steinbach -- retired.

The score card reads that Miami signed nine players as veteran free agents. Seven were cut. Only two of those additions -- Marshall and Naanee -- remain on the team.

Marshall is a starter and the star of Miami's free agent class. But even he has been inconsistent at cornerback and had a tough day against the Jets last Sunday.

Naanee is a backup who has zero receptions for zero yards this season. His biggest contribution has come on special teams.

It should also be noted that Miami re-signed restricted free agents Phillip Merling and Lydon Murtha in the offseason and also eventually cut both.

So let me put this in perspective: By any measure, the Dolphins didn't maximize free agency. Obviously, they didn't spend a lot of money so their investment wasn't high. But it is fair to say the Dolphins are basically getting what they paid for.

If this is going to be the approach and typical of the results in free agency going forward, the next time the Dolphins will have a good opportunity to improve their team will come in the 2013 draft. 

 

Comments

[Clue]

Well what do you expect when you go acorn shoping at Acorn R Us? Nannee contract needs to be terminated as well.. He has 0 catches in 3 games. Thanks Jeff

[Reality Check]

Mando, Miami created more holes by missing on almost all FA's.

Still have no real depth on the oline

Have no Depth at LB's & with Dansby likely gone next year, big holes to fill

We still have no game changing safety & with cutting Tulver, have no depth

Marshall is best suited a a nickel DB & when Smith potentially leaves in the offseason, we'll need a #1 & # 2 cb.

I like your optimisim of Miami getting to improve in 2013 but, I think it'll be about 3 years before this team can field even a playoff caliber team.

[Darryl Dunphy]

..This is going to be sweet topic today. Personaly. I said 2 weeks ago I was done with Ireland as a topic until the season is over. Got nothing..

[DC Dolfan]

Not good Jeff, not a good record at all.

[Ranadicus]

It almost looks like the team wasn't looking for starters in free agency and was only looking to add lower cost, depth players while building through the draft. Oh wait, that's exactly what they are doing...

[XpensiveWino]

.....and this percentage of success comes as a shock to whom, exactly?

[Reality Check]

Also, factor in that he cut Nolan, the FS pick up from Houston.

He picked up a guy he thought was better than he had and he was wrong on that too.

Yikes.

[DUH!]

It almost looks like the team wasn't looking for starters in free agency and was only looking to add lower cost, depth players while building through the draft. Oh wait, that's exactly what they are doing...

Posted by: Ranadicus | September 27, 2012 at 10:11 AM

And that's precisely what they failed to do! They failed to get depth because none of them made the team!

So instead of needing just quality starters, we STILL need Depth AND quality starters.

DUH!

[Kris]

DC...

Check out the last blog for my response...

[Kris]

Dashi from the last blog...

It would be foolish for the FINS to let Bush walk becaus they have Miller....

why not have your cake and eat it too....

It can BUSCH AND MILLER time....we can be drunk with electifying OFFENSE and wins...

Losing Marshall this season was puzzling @ best...losing Bush next season will be dissapointing....

[AJ Murphy]

Depth on OL?

that's what you're worried about?

how about a WR or TE who can threaten the defense a little bit?

I agree we need more LB's and more playmakers in the secondary but this Parcellian nonsense that we need to keep drafting OL and DL high every year is the main reason Miami has few playmakers. Ireland and Parcells worked off a 1986 template and it has made this team ineffective.

Miami must commit to getting young starters in their weaker areas like WR, TE, S and LB and a few of them HAVE to come through free agency.

I think Ireland is running on this misguided notion that he can build a roster soley through the draft using the biggest player available philosophy and also with a few third world free agents mixed in.

Ehh, not gonna work. But please stop supporting this finheaven notion that every year Miami should draft the best available OL "because that's where it all start-up front"

the good teams in the league don't operate that way.

[DOLPHINS STINK]

CAN WE PLEASE FIRE IRESCUM NOW??? ROSS DO SOMETHING!!!!!!

[Old Warrior]

Jeff Ireland simply doesn't have the right stuff as a talent evaluator. How much longer will Dolphin fans have to put up with this incompetence?

[Fear Man]

Should have kept Ginn Jr instead of letting stupid, ignorant, fat, beer bellied 12-pack drinking *losers* bully you into jettisoning him.

[DC Dolfan]

Read it Kris. You're right, especially when it comes to national reporters (and not Miami specific). They really know very little about the goings on with the team. There's much more insight here (in general).

[Fear Man]

Additionally, Irescum's incompetence will likely get Tannehill hurt this year. He's already taken 5 monster hits in the low back or in a few cases the back of the knees.

www.cutlongnow.com

[Paul]

I hope someone else is doing the drafting in 2013. Ireland has blown too many high picks, especially in rounds 2 and 3. Egnew is the latest bust.

[Clue]

I have no problem drafting DL its just you have to know what sort of DLineman to look at. I.E. Odrick struggles because he's a tweener not quick enough to play DE and not bulky enough to play DT or NT. My hoping was that Odrick would be our own JJ Watt buts he's nowhere in his league. Didnt we have a shot at JPP in the draft? Anywho blame this all on Ireland. Everyone whos says we have some nice pieces year right. Hatline and Bess are avg players. Pouncey a man child but he's C. We need players that can do these thing. Score TD's and Pressure opposing QB on a regular basis. We have neither right now.

[Drogs]

Once the cap is cleaned up things will get better. The Fish didn't have the budget this year to do much - which is an indictment on management because it meant they were spending to the max for a 6 win team. Not good.

But as the ever eternal optimist I look forward to long term contracts for Randy Starks, Jake Long and Sean Smith and extensions for Reggie and Carlos with enough cash left to sign a top WR and CB assuming they are available next year.

Then there are all those draft picks!

[Reality Check]

But please stop supporting this finheaven notion that every year Miami should draft the best available OL "because that's where it all start-up front"
the good teams in the league don't operate that way.

Posted by: AJ Murphy | September 27, 2012 at 10:18 AM

AJ, please stop assuming I support any decision to draft any lineman. Talk about what I said, not what I didn't.

I didn't say we needed to draft lineman. I'm saying our Depth is a concern because Hicks was supposed to address Depth.

In fact, he was probably going to start. What exactly do you disagree with?

[Monte]

Ross certainly isnt pro-active. He just stands by and allowed Ireland to ruin the team and the teams reputation. Amazing.

[Timmy Couch]

After the "real" refs continue their 50-year practice of making similarly horrible (or worse) calls at least once or twice every single game, what will little girl Steve Young have to cry on national TV about?

Every game.

Our first game against Houston.

Steelers goalline fumble.

The regular refs make horrible calls every game too.

What has happened recently in the ESPN talking head crowd is typical of our country in every respect: "sheep" "follow the herd" mentality.

The replacement refs differed from the real refs only in that they actually called pass interference as the rules describe it instead of letting it be WWE wrestling on every pass play.

Also the Green Bay thing was a close call. Possession does not happen until *the feet hit the ground*. Receiver arguably got simultaneous possession by the time they hit the ground.

If GB wanted to win:

1. score more than 12 points all game
2. selfish stat padding DB should have batted ball down, not tried to intercept it
3. if he had the ball, why didn't he roll over and rip it away and make it obvious when they hit the ground???

Hmmmmm. It was a close call and the replacement refs did a respectable job.

Use your eyes.

Don't be a sheep.

[Timmy Couch]

www.dontbeasheep.com

www.infowars.com

[Truth]

The Pats start 11 white guys on offense.

Hmmmm.

Intelligence matters.

Don't draft neanderthals like Egnew.

[massfish]

Its possible many of the top level free agents didn't want to come to Miami (Peyton Manning)so he you needed to go acorn picking. Until you put a winner together....you get what you get.

[Clue]

Monte, Ross doesnt know crap about football, what can you do just fire everyone?

[TGH]

Many FA's and coaches dont want to play for Ireland and the Dolphins if they have a choice. The way he treats people is inexcusable and he has developed that racist reputation among many black players.

[Reality]

Truth, Pats are also 1 and 2.

[tony in miami]

Armando, you throw under the bus your partner Jeff Ireland with the present article

[Sushi]

Sushi wonder where Dashi be

He post long, make us yawn

Sushi wish he'd keep short n sweet

SUSHI OUT!

[Monte]

Monte, Ross doesnt know crap about football, what can you do just fire everyone?

Posted by: Clue | September 27, 2012 at 10:33 AM

Yeah, its better then standing still watching your team be destroyed. Why not TRY hiring PROVEN winners at GM and HC instead of the failed experiments he has now.

[JD]

I don't think there is a day that goes by that Armando does not write something to get guys talking. There is a reason these guys were free agents and thats because there old team let them hit the market. None of these guys were world beaters anyway. So the fins took a shot at them to see if they could improve bottom of roster. Garrard gets hurt, Hicks gets hurt, Steinbach retires (not cut), Johnson head butts his wife and gets arrested. None of this could have been forseen by the team. Its not like they are sitting around saying, "hey who can we sign now so we can cut them next week?" Face facts people Philbin is building this team his way (going to be in the draft) and it will not happen this year.

[Dashi (MHM I BE)]

Kris Check Again.

Dashi does Say Later Franchise Bush or Sign him to a 2 Year deal.

Bush and Miller for 1 or 2 more Years while Miller Learns from Bush and Doesn't take a Beating the first 3 years of his Career.

In 3 Years Miller will be the Same Age (24) That D.Thomas is NOW. Picture That?!
-------------------------------------------------------

When Dashi read the Headline. I Was Jumping with JOY thinking IT WAS NAANEE WAS CUT.

BUT HICKS? OK, YES that just EXPOSES that IRELAND isn't even finding Acorns this Year.

Hick is Irrelevant. Philbin and the Marine got Fatboy living up to his potential. Jerry has been a Pleasant Surprise. Add that with J.Martins Development. The O-line isn't the Problem. At least not No More.

How long did it take for Spo to fix the Line?

Or have a Top 5 Run Game with No Gimmicks! Just Football!

If only Ireland would've hit on 1 FA. Specially at the Wr Position. How Much better will this team be?

[LOL]

Armando, you throw under the bus your partner Jeff Ireland with the present article

Posted by: tony in miami | September 27, 2012 at 10:38 AM

Somewhere in Canada, Craig M is FURIOUS!

Expect a defense of Ireland when he makes it here.

[Monte]

Ross choosing Ireland over Fisher was just a catastrophic blunder for the franchise.

[Clue]

Monte, Ross doesnt know any football guys besides Carl Peterson who obviously doesnt want to be GM of the Dolphins or Ross would of fired Ireland already.

[Truth]

Tools:

Craig M
Mark in Toronto
Everyone else who lives in Canada

[dolfnman]

So lets see you are focusing on the free agents that were meant to add depth, not necessarily be starters. Have looked to see how that ranks with other teams. how about looking at the number picks the fish have next year or the additions of bush, tannehill, Dansby, Lamar Miller, Jonothan martin, Pouncey, Richard Marshall. Oh boy this is like a political debate, you can look at it from both sides.

[robbyhernz]

Good!!! Build through draft, not FA!! The packer way.. Jets spend tons of money on FA and they only beat us cuz of a missed FG

[BoulderPhinFan]

I'm glad all those guys are gone. WE need to build through the draft.

[ADB]

Armando:

I wouldn't call Ross a "free spender" but he hasn't been overly thrifty in allowing FA spending either. If you look around the league, there are other squads in a similar stratus of expenditure on FA as the Dolphins. I don't have the results as to whether their outcome was better or worse, but that is the COMPARISON that needs to be made! Given the "success" rate that you illustrate here, I am guessing that Jeff Ireland is polling like Ron Paul in California within the group...

[greg z.]

ireland is the only one responsible for this mess.

[2 watt]

aib.
lol

[Monte]

Clue, Ireland has ruined the teams reputation. He has to go. Ross doesnt have to know the replacement. Let him interview candidates. Bill Polian or Marty Schottenheimer could be good choices. But ANYONE would do better then Ireland.

[dante]

yes the old refs did make some bad calls but not nearly as much as these replacement refs. i can take one or two missed calls a game no body is perfect. but when u make bad calls thru out the game ten bad calls a game now its ridiculous and makes the game way longer and hard to watch. u effect the game when u make bad calls consistently. happy refs are back. i dont expect them to be perfect and who ever does is going to be dissapointed cuz nobody is perfect but the games will be better

[Clue]

Monte, I agree, Ireland needs to go he has 5 years to build this club and there still trash.

[Monte]

Clue, I HONESTLY believe you or I would do better then Ireland.

[Monte]

Monte, I agree, Ireland needs to go he has 5 years to build this club and there still trash.

Posted by: Clue | September 27, 2012 at 10:53 AM

They're worse every year under Ireland. And cursing at your paying customers is inexcusable.

[Mr.Roarke]

Jeff, Welcome to Fantasy Island where everyone can be a Football GM.

[We Have RB's]

"If this is going to be the approach and typical of the results in free agency going forward, the next time the Dolphins will have a good opportunity to improve their team will come in the 2013 draft."

I think whoever is in charge would be an idiot if we don't specifically target Mike Wallace. This is a position where we need to spend big-time money. He's 26 years old & all the guy does is produce. Adding Wallace to go with Hartline (assuming we re-sign him) & Bess would make a nice trio. Sign a legitimate pass catching TE & we'll give Tannehill a chance to win some games in 2013.

[2 watt]

lol

[Dashi (MHM I BE)]

ALso, CAN WE STOP THIS ASININE THINKING WE WILL KEEP DRAFTING O-LINE OR D-LINE IN THE First 2 ROUNDS!!!

THE O-LINE IS FIXED AND J.LONG WILL GET HIS MONEY! We ARE YOUNG AND GOOD ON THE LINE. The Fins Oldest Player on the Line is Incognito(29). So the Fins aren't Going to be really looking for a Starter at any position on the Line for the next 3 Years at least. More than enough Time to Draft a Project 4th or Lower in the Next Couple of Years! Not 1st Round Picks. Even Ireland KNOWS THIS.

ON THE D-LINE. WE Almost have a Full D-Line Depth and All. We are only missing a Pass Rush DE Opposite Wake. Other than We are Stacked. We have 3 Legit DT's(2 of them can Play DE on 1st & 2nd for the Run Game), 2 Good Rookie DE's, 1 Great Pass Rusher, and 2 Good Backup DT's(1 Being a Rookie).

Now OUR LB's!!!!

Different Story! U got 2 LB's that make more than the Whole D-Line (Except Soliai and Wake).

And those 2 LB's make More than the WHOLE STARTING O-LINE! JAKE LONG INCL'D!!

Again DRAFT LB in the 1st Rd. And Again in the 2nd. OR FS and LB. but the Back 7 of Our Defense Needs help.

Cut Dansby and Give Reggie his money!

[shula71]

I find it funny how after all the talk about the west coast offense and high power thing. We are basically running the same type of O we have been running for the last five or six years, minus the wildcat.

Personally I think the boys have looked much better than I thought. We would probably be in a much better spot if Gerrard had worked out. After all they seem to really be pampering Tanhill. Has he made more than three deep attempts yet???

Dont disagree with this philosophy after the way we did Henne. I think Moore would probably run this offense better, but then you get no growth for Tanhill. And he has not been horrible. Crap they run Miller a little more than Thomas last week and we probably come away with the win. Or if they could just get the ball five feet closer so our kicker does not have to hit 50 yarders all the time. We should be 2-1 so in my humble opinion Philbin and company seem to be on to something and deserve some time and a few drafts if the whole year pans out like the early part.

My only worry is we are in a position to draft Barkley (dont think we will) but if we are then we probably will have to make one of those calls like passing on Ryan for Long. Those things tend to come back and haunt you. And I love Long, but having Ryan would have made the last few years eaiser to tolerate.

I was drooling for Blackmon and just saw were he was the worst ranked WR so far this season. Sort of crap shoot this draft thing.

Thank god for Reggie Bush he is a player that other players will fight for. Anyone think our line is playing better because of Reggies work ethic. I do. I hope they pay the man and he stays healthy.

Go Dolphins!! Might be easier to tolerate Ireland if Philbin and Sherman give him better in put. For the life of me I cant figure out why they have not found a better deep threat receiver. Crap give TO or Burress a shot.

[davidorth]

more evidence in FIRELAND case

[Clue]

Who would you gather rather offer a 2nd round pick too. Steelers Mike Wallace or Cheifs Dwayne Bowe. Wallace is more explosive but Bowe is the more physical WR.

[Rhino]

This organization is a ship of fools, from top to bottom. The only consistency is how consistently they make dumb decisions. Why in the world can every arm chair GM in the world see these things, and yet the actual GM cannot?

Signing Chad Johnson. Really? Did anyone honestly expect this buffoon to be and impact on this team?

Eric Stienbach vs Braylon Edwards. Really? A no brainer and yet our ace swung and missed on that one.

I could keep typing but I am just going to get angry and beat my kids. See you next year Dolphins.

Oh and a little stat for you all. Tannehill vs Henne in their first three starts.

Tannehill Rating: 1) 39.0 2) 91.0 3) 50.2

Henne Rating: 1) 92.0 2)130.4 3) 45.0

Uh oh!!!

[Arturo]

Posted by: shula71 | September 27, 2012 at 11:05 AM

Why would we draft Barkley? Take a look at the USC vs Stanford game two weeks ago. Guy is pretty average and has a knack for coming up short in big games.

[Dashi (MHM I BE)]

Shula Barkley is already falling on Most Draft Expert Big Board. Some already have him at #5 and Falling Each Week. And thats with him Listed at 6'1". And No Expert is Vouching for his Arm Strength.

#1 Overall QB's don't fall or get worst. Luck was #1 for 2 years.

Barkley is a 3rd Rounder at best. And that's falling Week to Week.

[Clue]

Rhino, to be fair, Henne was a 4 year starter in college and sat out his whole rookie season backing up Pennignton. He started his second year. Tannhill on the other hand had 19 career college starts and is a rookie playing in his first 3 NFL games.

[adrian solorza]

I do prefer to cut Naanee and re sign Roberto Wallace at last Wallace is better special teams player